My plastic-free fails
When I signed on to Plastic Free July, I pledged to swear off single-use plastics for the entire month. If any piece of an item was plastic that couldn't be used again, I vowed to leave it on the shelf.
So, with Plastic Free July coming to a close, how did I do? Did I succeed in my mission?
Ok, so it wasn't as bad as all that. But in short, no. I was not able to completely avoid single-use plastics. A few products took me by surprise. There was plastic where I least expected it and where it was completely unnecessary.
What got me? Three items. Three in a month of purchasing. And the culprits were...
Kitty litter. Grr... I thought I had avoided this when I found a cardboard box of litter without a plastic bag inside. I picked it up off the shelf, paid, and waltzed it to the car - only then to notice the plastic handle that was stuck in the top of the box. Darn.
Tampons. I made the switch to organic cotton tampons as part of the challenge. But, while they are applicator-free, each one is encased in a teensy plastic wrapper. Not the most waste, but waste nonetheless.
Parsley. Yup, you read that correctly. Herbs! An herb was my first challenge fail. I was at a different store than usual (where herbs come with a paper-covered twist-tie or an elastic) and I grabbed a bunch of parsley. It wasn't until I got it home and untwisted the tie to put it in some water that I realized this twist-tie was a plastic-coated sticker advertising the farm it came from. *Insert face-palm here.*
Other items that may have caught me, had I not had enough already in my home? Toothpaste (although I have a couple options recommended to me that I intend to try), tissues, sunscreen, apple cider vinegar, and toilet paper. August will be the month I focus on minimizing plastic in the bathroom and for household cleaning.
However, while I failed in simple terms to complete the challenge, I succeeded in adopting some very helpful long-term habits to reduce my impact on the environment. Furthermore, the challenge also encouraged me to reconsider how I perceive and value time. And it has sparked an interest in and passion for a surprising topic: consumerism. So, while I may have failed at the challenge because the smell of parsley distracted me from submitting the herb to a more thorough plastic inspection, I count the overall experience as a success.
The most significant takeaway from going plastic-free for a month? There are so many small ways we can make big positive change for our planet and for the species we share it with. And many of these small changes have positive effects on not just the environment - but on ourselves and our relationships with others as well.
Start small. Make it a habit. Repeat. You may be surprised at just how easy it all is once that first habit sinks in. And it is not as costly as one may think (but more on that at a later date). And be prepared to fail at perfection because this isn't about perfection. It's about doing a little bit more than we are right now. And then doing a little bit more than that.
I've never been happier to fail at something in my life :).
So, with Plastic Free July coming to a close, how did I do? Did I succeed in my mission?
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| Business Insider Australia: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/nailed-it-netflix-baking-fails-photos-2018-3 |
Ok, so it wasn't as bad as all that. But in short, no. I was not able to completely avoid single-use plastics. A few products took me by surprise. There was plastic where I least expected it and where it was completely unnecessary.
What got me? Three items. Three in a month of purchasing. And the culprits were...
Kitty litter. Grr... I thought I had avoided this when I found a cardboard box of litter without a plastic bag inside. I picked it up off the shelf, paid, and waltzed it to the car - only then to notice the plastic handle that was stuck in the top of the box. Darn.
Tampons. I made the switch to organic cotton tampons as part of the challenge. But, while they are applicator-free, each one is encased in a teensy plastic wrapper. Not the most waste, but waste nonetheless.
Parsley. Yup, you read that correctly. Herbs! An herb was my first challenge fail. I was at a different store than usual (where herbs come with a paper-covered twist-tie or an elastic) and I grabbed a bunch of parsley. It wasn't until I got it home and untwisted the tie to put it in some water that I realized this twist-tie was a plastic-coated sticker advertising the farm it came from. *Insert face-palm here.*
Other items that may have caught me, had I not had enough already in my home? Toothpaste (although I have a couple options recommended to me that I intend to try), tissues, sunscreen, apple cider vinegar, and toilet paper. August will be the month I focus on minimizing plastic in the bathroom and for household cleaning.
However, while I failed in simple terms to complete the challenge, I succeeded in adopting some very helpful long-term habits to reduce my impact on the environment. Furthermore, the challenge also encouraged me to reconsider how I perceive and value time. And it has sparked an interest in and passion for a surprising topic: consumerism. So, while I may have failed at the challenge because the smell of parsley distracted me from submitting the herb to a more thorough plastic inspection, I count the overall experience as a success.
The most significant takeaway from going plastic-free for a month? There are so many small ways we can make big positive change for our planet and for the species we share it with. And many of these small changes have positive effects on not just the environment - but on ourselves and our relationships with others as well.
Start small. Make it a habit. Repeat. You may be surprised at just how easy it all is once that first habit sinks in. And it is not as costly as one may think (but more on that at a later date). And be prepared to fail at perfection because this isn't about perfection. It's about doing a little bit more than we are right now. And then doing a little bit more than that.
I've never been happier to fail at something in my life :).
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